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The Poetry
of
J.A.Killingsworth
 Railway Art Forms
and Events

Local
(St. Thomas)


J.A. Killingsworth was born in Balsover, Ontario but at an early age moved to St.Thomas. He was educated at Scranton and St.Thomas schools. After school, he entered the service of the Michigan Central Railroad, where he was a fireman and engineer.

Killingsworth left the MCR when he was offered a job at the St.Thomas Journal, where he worked for three years. Killingsworth then went on to be Manager of the St.Thomas Street Railway for a short period, until being hired by Pere Marquette. At PM he had the position of Chief Clerk and later worked in the Customs Department. His poems included "Welcome to Our City".


Welcome to Our City

You are welcome in St.Thomas
Where there's many railway men.
We are honoured by your visit
And invite you back again.

We are proud to show our city;
It's the finest in the land.
It's the home of pretty tulips,
And the climate here is grand.

It is called the "Railway City"
Seven railways enter here.
Which includes two interurbans,
And the lakeside too is near.

It was here that poor old Jumbo
Lost his life some years ago.
He was the chief attraction
Of the Barnum and Bailey show.

We have many side attractions-
Soldiers ready for the "front";
Pretty parks, fine schools and churches
Where we do our Sunday "stunt".

We've as fine a lodge of "trainmen"
As the brotherhood contains;
And we have the fastest engines
And the very finest trains.

And the road your riding over
Has a record, brothers, too,
On the C.S.R division,
That's unequalled for it's true

That this railroad hasn't killed a
Single passenger-not one
And it's forty years and ayer
Since her trains commenced to run.

We would like to entertain you
But we know you're on your way,
So we thank you for your visit,
For your thirty minutes' stay.

In conclusion we would ask you,
When you get back home to say
Something good about St.Thomas,
For good advertisers pay.